A long time coming: BYU TE Ta’ase starred at Mountain View Mesa way back in 2015
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- BYU tight end Mata’ava Ta’ase celebrates scoring a touchdown against Southern Illinois at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024.
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- BYU tight end Mata’ava Ta’ase leaps over an SMU defender during a college football game at Ford Stadium in Dallas on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024.
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- BYU tight end Mata’ava Ta’ase (88) enters the field at LaVell Edwards Stadium before a game with Southern Illinois on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024.
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- BYU tight end Mata’ava Ta’ase (88) catches a touchdown pass against SMU at Ford Stadium in Dallas on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024.
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- BYU tight end Mata’ava Ta’ase carries the ball during a college football game against SMU in Dallas on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024.
It’s been a minute since Mata’ava Ta’ase was playing football at Mountain View Mesa in Arizona.
Ta’ase senior year in high school was 2015-16 but a church mission, junior college, the pandemic, three years at Southern Utah, getting married to Ellie Thornton, helping to raise their daughter Elli’ana and the past two seasons in Provo have all added up.
The 255-pound Ta’ase is making the most of his senior year at BYU. He’s caught three passes in the first two Cougars games this season, but two of them went for touchdowns. In a tight end room loaded with talent, Ta’ase abilities as a pass catcher and a blocker have made him an impact player in Aaron Roderick’s offense.
Those who knew him in Mesa aren’t surprised.
Rusty Pagano retired from coaching football at Mountain View a couple of years ago. Now he coaches the golf team, sitting in the shade during another 104-degree day in Mesa while answering questions about Ta’ase in a phone interview.
“Tava was a three-sport start for us (football, basketball, track) and we always knew he was a special athlete,” Pagano said. “I watched him compete in track and he was a 50-foot shot putter. He was great in the weight room, too. It’s his grit and determination to continue his dream that makes him special.”
Pagano said Ta’ase was a “a phenom” as a freshman who earned snaps with the varsity as a sophomore.
“He was a tenacious blocker and we played him on defense as a senior,” Pagano said. “He proved to be so valuable for us. He could do everything. He could run with the ball, he could catch, and he could really block. I wish we had the RPO (run-pass option) offense with him. He would have been so good at that.”
As a senior, Ta’ase — then a 6-foot-3, 195 pound receiver — posted 94 catches for 1,323 yards and 11 touchdowns, adding 37 tackles in defense. Against Highland in 2015, Ta’ase caught 10 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns in a thrilling 66-65 triple overtime victory. But his main contribution came on the defensive side where he blocked two kicks, including a Highland extra point that would have sent the game to a fourth extra session.
“Tava always had a good vibe about him,” Pagano said. “Sometimes, we had one of those contentious coach-player relationships because of the expectations for him on the field and in the weight room. But eventually there was a mutual respect and understanding where we worked together to do things the right way. Tava always worked hard and always had a big wide smile. I had a chance to coach two younger brothers and some of his sisters in the weight room. He comes from a really strong family. He’s a family guy.”
Ta’ase comes from a big family, with nine brothers and sisters. His brother Malaki is a freshman defensive tackle at New Mexico and another younger brother, Tevita, is starring at Mountain View Mesa this year.
His mother, Laurie, played volleyball at the University of Utah and his father, Tunufa’i, played football there and helped coach Tava in high school.
Last September, Tunufa’i Ta’ase died from a heart attack.
“I think Tava has handled it as well as he can,” Pagano said. “Losing a father, especially a strong father figure like Tunu, that’s really difficult. I know his dad is smiling right now watch Tava play at BYU.”
Mata’ava Ta’ase didn’t have a lot of offers out of high school (Weber State was one of them) and served a church mission to Japan. He played one year of junior college ball for the Gila River Hawks in Gilbert, Ariz., and then enrolled at Southern Utah, where he was trained in an offense run by former BYU assistant Blair Peterson. In 2022, Ta’ase recorded 19 catches for 214 yards and two touchdowns. Knowing the Cougar offensive system helped him earn a spot on the BYU roster in 2023, where he played in all 12 games but caught just one pass.
He’s becoming a big-time target in the Cougars offense this season.
“Tava is just an incredible player who’s making plays left and right,” Retzlaff said. “If you had asked me after two games who would have two touchdowns, I probably wouldn’t have picked Tava but we’re glad that he did. A-Rod has drawn up some incredible plays for him and our tight ends in the pass game. All of our tight ends can receive the ball really well and that’s what we love about them. They can all do so many things so well. There’s not a guy who I won’t throw the ball to or don’t trust blocking for me.”
Pagano said he’s not surprised Ta’ase has become a tight end in college.
“He could always block,” Pagano said. “We had him in some tight end formations because he could. With his size, moving to tight end was a natural progression.”
The Cougars are 2-0 heading to Laramie this weekend for a contest against the Wyoming Cowboys.
“Nothing is ever given to us,” Ta’ase said. “Week in and week out, we get our opponent’s best. Sometimes we have to face adversity but we all have something to prove. I’ve just been able to be in the right place at the right time. I trust in Coach A-Rod and Coach (Kevin) Gilbride in being able to evolve in this offense. At the same time, it could have easily been anybody else in the tight end room. I’m grateful for the chance to be out there and be able to make a play when the ball comes to me.”
